Winona Ryder has revealed a long-held secret from her early Hollywood days. In a new interview, the Stranger Things star shared that she was once “completely in love” with her Looking for Richard co-star Al Pacino. Her candid confession has surprised fans and shed new light on their friendship.
Here’s what Ryder said about her past feelings, how Pacino reacted, and why the story still makes her laugh decades later.
Winona Ryder says she was ‘throwing’ herself at Al Pacino in her early 20s
During a recent interview with ELLE, Winona Ryder said she was “absolutely in love with Al Pacino” in her early 20s. The two actors had worked together during a workshop for Richard III, which eventually became the 1996 documentary, Looking for Richard.
Ryder recalled, “He was obsessed with coffee, and he would take me all over New York — like, to the weirdest places — to try different coffees.” She continued, “Finally, he’s dropping me off wherever I’m staying, and I’m like, ‘I love you, you know. I really am completely in love with you.’ And he was like, ‘Aw, honey, noooo.’”
She added that about ten years later, she met Pacino’s girlfriend at the time, who was younger than her. Ryder said, “Dude, I’m f—ing throwing myself at you.”
Despite the unreciprocated feelings, Ryder maintained a friendship with Pacino. “I still play poker with him sometimes. It’s the best,” she told the outlet. Ryder and Pacino worked together again in the 2002 film S1m0ne. They were also seen together at the 35th AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Pacino in 2007.
At the time of their Richard III workshop, Ryder was around 22 and Pacino was in his mid-50s. Their time together in New York during the project was formative for Ryder, who described it as an intense crush.
She now shares her life with longtime partner Scott Mackinlay Hahn, whom she met at the 2010 Black Swan premiere. When asked about marriage, she mentioned that she already considers him her husband and confirmed that they plan to marry. Ryder also stated that she had thought about having children in the past, but hadn’t met the right person until she met Hahn.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on ComingSoon.net.
